Midget AE's eliminate Mitchell Meteors in OMHA preliminary round playoffs- Stephen Pilar and James Besito score late and a minute apart to salvage the tie.
The Saugeen Shores Legault's Independent Grocer Storm Midget AE's won their OMHA midget AE gr3 preliminary group 2 playoff series at the plex on Sunday and captured the WOAA Championship in the process. The Storm was leading the series 5 points to 1 and needed only one more point to win the series. A case of a tie being as good as a win.
Opening the scoring, however, was Mitchell at the 12:40 mark of the first period on an unassisted goal when Lodewyk Koert stole the puck in the slot and beat a surprised Brody Farrish. Throughout the series the Storm usually scored the first and early goal. Nevertheless, the Storm played with confidence and outskated and out chanced Mitchell for the rest of the period but was down a goal going into the second.
The second period continued with strong play by the Storm but ended the same way as the first - down a goal.
In the first minute of the third period, Mitchell scored right off a faceoff in the Storm end. Down 2-0 the Storm continued to work hard and create scoring chances but could not beat the Mitchell goaltender. Finally, with less than 6 minutes left in regulation time, Stephen Pilar fired a shot that beat the goalie shortside. Assisting on the goal was Justin Greig. Less then a minute later Dalton Reany set up James Besito for the tying goal.
Regulation time ended in a 2-2 tie and forced a sudden-death 10 minute overtime. With no scoring in OT the Storm got the point they needed to win the series and the WOAA Championship.
The Storm now move on to the OMHA Midget AE grp3 Quarterfinals where their opponent will most likely be the winner of the group 1 OMHA preliminary round.